🏊♀️ Making a Splash on the National Stage! 🌊🔥
ŌTC was proudly represented by four swimmers at the National Aquatics Centre in Auckland, competing against more than 800 swimmers from 170 schools! 🏫🏊♀️
All four girls put in fantastic performances, achieving some awesome personal bests throughout the competition. 💪⏱️👏
A special shout-out to Georgia Duske, who produced some outstanding results:
🥇 7th – 50m Butterfly
🔥 6th – 100m Butterfly
⚡ 6th – 100m Freestyle
👏 11th – 50m Freestyle
Three top-10 finishes on the national stage — an incredible achievement! 🌟
Congratulations to all four of our swimmers for representing ŌTC with pride and giving it their all in the pool. 💙🏊♀️
GET2GO — ONE EPIC DAY! 🔥
Monday 3 August saw our two Get2Go teams hit the road to Rotorua for a huge day of adventure, teamwork and pushing limits! 💪🏽
🌊 Lake Okareka – Kayaking
First up… the chilly waters of Lake Okareka! 🥶 No time for cold feet — our teams jumped straight in and gave it everything!
🌲 Redwoods – Orienteering
Then it was into the Redwoods for almost an hour of non-stop running, navigating and problem-solving. The never-give-up attitude was on full display! 🏃♀️🏃♂️
🧗 The Wall – Rock Climbing
Next stop was indoors at The Wall for rock climbing. The teamwork and encouragement between our students was fantastic, with everyone supporting each other to reach new heights! 🙌
🚵 Mountain Biking – Finish Strong!
And finally… mountain biking! 🚴♂️ With every second counting, our teams nailed the transitions and finished the day with plenty of determination and energy.
👏 What a day! Our Year 9 & 10 students showed incredible resilience, teamwork, courage and school spirit from start to finish.
Well done — you did ŌTC proud! 💙🔥
🏀🔥 BAYWIDE JUNIOR BASKETBALL CHAMPS🔥🏀
Friday 7 August saw our Junior Basketball teams take on the best of the Bay at Mercury Baypark — and both teams showed plenty of fight, resilience and ŌTC pride! 🏀
💪 JUNIOR A BOYS — 3rd IN THE BAY! 🥉
The boys started the day strongly with a solid win over Aquinas College before facing a huge challenge against a very strong Rotorua Boys team. Unfortunately, sometimes size matters in basketball, and Rotorua proved too strong on the day.
That set up a 3rd/4th playoff against TBC — and the boys dug deep, found another gear and got the job done! 💪🔥
🥉 3rd in the Bay — a fantastic result!
Well done boys! You showed plenty of character when it mattered. 👏
⚡ JUNIOR B BOYS
What a way to start! A BUZZER BEATER sealed the win over Te Puke B to get the boys off to a flying start! 🚨🏀🔥
The next two games were a much tougher challenge against bigger teams, and while the wins didn’t come, the boys gained some valuable experience.
With most of the team being Year 9, there is plenty to be excited about. They will be back next year bigger, stronger and wiser.
📈 Experience builds confidence. Confidence builds players.
Proud of the effort from both teams and the way they represented ŌTC! 🏀
🏃♀️🏃♂️ ŌTC COUNTRY CHAMPS 2026! 🌿🔥
What a morning! ☀️ On Tuesday 11 August, our school grounds came alive as 100+ determined runners took on the Cross Country Champs! 💪
With perfect conditions and our stunning school grounds providing the ultimate backdrop, our students showed plenty of grit, determination and resilience as they battled their way around the course. 👏
A huge WELL DONE to every student who lined up, gave it their all and crossed that finish line! 🏅🙌
🏆 AGE GROUP CHAMPIONS
Junior Boys — Lachie Baker
Junior Girls — Ayla Radley
Intermediate Boys — Roman Wain
Intermediate Girls — Daisy Ruthe
Senior Boys — Ethan Culver
Senior Girls — Lina Wallisch
Congratulations to all our runners — an awesome effort!
Pony Club International Tetrathlon Championships
A huge congratulations to Libby Ward, who has recently returned from an incredible three-week trip to Queensland, Australia, where she represented New Zealand Pony Club at the Pony Club International Tetrathlon Championships!
Libby competed against teams from Australia, Ireland, the UK and USA, gaining an amazing opportunity to compete on the international stage and represent her country.
The New Zealand team finished 6th overall, with some fantastic performances throughout the competition — particularly in the shooting and horse riding phases, which were highlights of the event. 🏇🎯
What an incredible experience for Libby — meeting riders from around the world, competing internationally and gaining valuable experience along the way.
Well done, Libby! We are very proud of your achievement and the dedication it took to represent New Zealand on the international stage! 👏
📸 Check out some photos from Libby’s incredible trip below!
NISS Interschools Show Jumping Carnival
Congratulations to Anabelle Drummond who joined a composite team alongside riders from Sacred Heart College in the NISS Interschools Show Jumping Carnival Competition on Sunday who took out the Overall Cup for 2026! — and what an incredible result! 🥇👏
Anabelle also had an outstanding individual day, placing:
🥇 1st – 1.05m INJ Class
🥈 2nd – 1.05m Speed Round
A hugely successful day and a fantastic achievement for Anabelle! 💙🐴
🏆 ŌTC PREMIER TEAMS UPDATE 🏆
With most of the results in from Week 4, we’re excited to confirm that ŌTC has at least two teams competing in major semi-finals next week! 🙌
🏀 Senior A Boys Basketball
Our Senior A Boys have reached the Tauranga City Basketball Association Premier League Semi-Final, where they’ll take on TBC Te Tupu Kotuitui.
📅 Wednesday 19 August
⏰ 6.40pm
📍 Haumaru Centre
🏑 1st XI Girls Hockey
Our 1st XI Girls have reached the Mid-North Intercity Secondary Schools Competition Semi-Final against St Peter’s 1st XI Girls. They’ll be heading over the hill for a big semi-final clash!
📅 Wednesday 19 August
⏰ 5.30pm
📍 Gallagher Hockey Centre – Turf 1
A huge congratulations to both teams on reaching the semi-finals! 👏
Best of luck to all our ŌTC teams competing next week. If you’re able to get along and support our amazing student-athletes, we know they’d love to see you there! 💙💛
Go ŌTC! 🔥
🏉BARBARIANS RUGBY | RESULTS & FINAL FIXTURES 🏉
Plenty to be proud of from our Barbarians teams, with three very different contests and another weekend of players putting themselves out there for the jersey. 🐏🖤
RESULTS
🏉 U16 | Barbarians 12–15 Te Taumata U16
A tight battle that went right to the wire, with just three points separating the teams.
🔥 U14 | Barbarians 38–17 TBC U14 South
A fantastic performance from our U14s, producing a strong 21-point victory! 👏
🏉 1st XV | Barbarians 17–43 TBC 3rd XV
A challenging contest against a strong TBC side, but plenty of fight and lessons to carry forward.
And now, one last opportunity to pull on the Barbarians jersey this season. 🔥
FINAL FIXTURES
🏉 U16 v Western Heights High School
📍 WHHS | 📅 Friday 14 August | ⏰ 4:00pm
🏉 U14 v TBC U14 North
📍 Ōtūmoetai College | 📅 Saturday 15 August | ⏰ 10:00am
🏉 1st XV v Te Taumata 1st XV
📍 Te Wharekura o Mauao | 📅 Saturday 15 August | ⏰ 12:00pm
One final week. One final chance to represent the jersey, your teammates and the Barbarians whānau.
Finish together. Finish strong. ALL IN. 🐏🖤
🌟 2027 ADASTRA FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS — APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN! 🌟🏀
Are you a talented young athlete, musician or performing artist with big ambitions? The Adastra Foundation Scholarship Programme could help you take the next step.
Adastra supports exceptional young New Zealanders with scholarship funding and personal development opportunities to help them pursue their goals.
To be eligible, applicants should:
🏆 Be 16–19 years old as at 1st January 2027
📍 Represent the Waikato or Bay of Plenty region
This is a fantastic opportunity for our talented Ōtūmoetai College students to gain support as they continue to develop and perform at a high level.
📅 Applications close: 27 August 2026
🔗 Apply & find out more: www.adastra.org.nz
📧 Questions: info@adastra.org.nz
Students — back yourself and apply!
Parents, whānau, coaches and tutors — please share this with a young person who should put their name forward.
🥏 Ready to Run, Throw, and Dive? Ultimate Frisbee for Year 9 & 10!
Looking for a fast-paced, high-energy sport on Term 3 and Term 4? Whether you’re a seasoned player or have never thrown a disc in your life, Ultimate Frisbee is the place to be! It’s non-contact, beginner-friendly, and all about awesome teamwork.
• Training Starts: Wednesday, 12th August (after school on the school field) for 10 weeks
• Competition: Term 4 – BOPSS Junior Champs
• Who Can Join: Open to all Year 9 and Year 10 students
Grab your friends and come along to see what it’s all about.
👉 Got what it takes? Complete the Expression of Interest form today to secure your spot!
https://forms.gle/3p6EJJzHmb5QS8366
Got a question – chat to Mr McMahon, English Dept.
🏐 TERM 4 GIRLS VOLLEYBALL 🏐
We’re looking for girls interested in playing Volleyball during Term 4! Whether you’re an experienced player or new to the sport, we’d love to hear from you. 💪🏐
📅 Term 4
🏐 Girls Volleyball
🔥 Get involved, represent ŌTC & have some fun!
Expressions of Interest are now open, form below!
🚵 NZSS Mountain Bike Championships 2026 🚵
We’re now taking registrations for the 2026 New Zealand Secondary Schools Mountain Bike Championships.
📍 Locations
• Summerhill MTB Park, Tauranga
• Whakarewarewa Forest, Rotorua
📅 4th–9th October 2026
🏁 Events:
• XCC (Cross Country Short Course)
• XCO (Cross Country)
• XCR (Cross Country Relay)
• EDR (Enduro)
• DHI (Downhill)
Whether you’re chasing a national title, looking to test yourself against the country’s best riders, or simply wanting to experience an unforgettable week of racing, this is an event you won’t want to miss.
👉 To register https://forms.gle/YD6yASg17YKud4V38
🏆 2025 ŌTC Sports Awards Trophy Return 🏆
It’s that time of year! As we begin preparing for our 2026 ŌTC Sports Awards, we kindly ask all 2025 trophy recipients to return their perpetual trophies.
📍 Please drop your trophy off at the ŌTC Sports Office
📅 Return by Friday 22nd August
Returning trophies by this date gives us enough time to clean, engrave and prepare them for this year’s deserving recipients.
Thank you for helping us continue this proud ŌTC sporting tradition and celebrate the achievements of our student-athletes.
If you’re unsure whether you have a trophy to return, or have any questions, please get in touch with the Sports Office.
The 🏋️♂️ S&C is back for Term 3!
The timetable remains the same as we continue building towards Winter Tournament Week.
Every session counts. Let’s get to work. 💪
Bureta Physio
BOOK NOW FOR 2026 TERM 3 – with our Bureta Physiotherapy.
NO CHARGE WITH ACC – Available for students and staff
Head to Bureta Physiotherapy website, select ŌTC and pick your time.
STRONGER TODAY. PERFORM BETTER TOMORROW. 💪🏽🟢
At Ōtūmoetai College Sport, we believe physical development is not an “extra” — it is an essential part of helping young athletes thrive.
New research reviewing 17 randomised controlled trials across team sports found that structured strength training can:
✅ Reduce injury risk by 30–70%
✅ Improve sprint speed, jump height and power
✅ Enhance movement quality and resilience
✅ Support long-term athletic development and wellbeing
Most importantly, the evidence shows these benefits are especially valuable for youth athletes involved in sports such as football, netball, volleyball, rugby and basketball.
Our ŌTC Strength & Conditioning Programme is designed to do exactly that:
🏋🏽 Build stronger, more resilient athletes
⚡ Improve movement efficiency and athletic performance
🧠 Develop confidence, discipline and physical literacy
🛡 Help reduce preventable injuries and time away from sport
High performance is built over time — not just during a season.
That is why we strongly encourage all ŌTC student-athletes to commit to year-round physical development alongside their sport-specific training. Consistency matters. Quality movement matters. Long-term development matters.
Whether students are aiming for representative honours, premier sport, or simply wanting to enjoy sport for longer and perform at their best, structured S&C training provides the foundation.
- Stronger athletes.
- Healthier athletes.
- Better prepared athletes.
For more information regarding our Strength & Conditioning programme please use the following link – Strength & Conditioning at ŌTC
To read the research paper in full please use the following link – Strength Training : Injury & Performance
Backing Our Teams: Thank You to Our Valued Sports Sponsors
As we head into the winter sports season, we would like to take a moment to sincerely thank the businesses and sponsors who continue to support sport here at Ōtūmoetai College. Their generosity makes a real difference to the opportunities we can provide for our students.
We are incredibly grateful to Barfoot & Thompson for their support of football and volleyball; Ray White – Greg Bopf for basketball; Ray White – Mark Francis and Pak’nSave Cameron Road for rugby; Marshalls Innovation for their support of rugby and hockey; Seeka and Watts & Hughes Construction for football; and Tauranga ITM for hockey.
These partnerships play a vital role in helping our teams thrive, and we greatly appreciate the commitment these businesses show to our students and wider school community.
Strength and Conditioning
Term 3 S&C timetable is the same as Term 2. Show up, put in the work, and keep building. Stronger every session.
Wrestling at ŌTC
Kids Back to Sport: Your go-to resource for child sports injuries
The website link below unlocks a comprehensive support for parents, health professionals, and teachers & coaches, empowering a safe return to play for injured children.
SPORT Noticeboard and Digi Screen
All your current Sport information is on the Action Centre Sports Noticeboard and Digi Screen. Location is opposite the netball court.
Ōtūmoetai College Alumni
We are looking to start an alumni of any previous students of Ōtūmoetai College – if you would like to be included, please click on the link below.
